Four or five days passed, and the girls went back to school and homework. Matsuri had fun duping people in Tokyo, and the girls studied for exams. Sara and Nina went to meet Yuzu at her apartment, and Harumi watched as her best friend bravely came out to her. She loved Mei and always had. The next day was frayed with all kinds of hectic thoughts in Harumi's mind. She told Yuzu she loved her, but had relented at the last minute, accepting her defeat quietly. They were friends, she thought, very close friends. In a way she felt jealous for what Yuzu had experienced, being so close and sleeping with her lover daily. She had had no idea that Yuzu slept with the president of the school in the same bed every night—and they were dating. It put everything into a different context for her, the universe had changed, pink had turned to blue.

Step-sisters in love with each other, she couldn't even imagine. It was bizarre. Yuzu had even told her later in a text that she had come out to both her parents. The blonde was lucky her parents hadn't bitten her head off like Ozzy and the bat.

She thought back to the filthy Yuri manga Yuzu read around her and wished for simpler days. Her friend was in love and Harumi had no notion of how to cope. She had never considered this a possibility.

She kicked a pebble around outside, walking by herself after school. She thought to herself that it was all so stupid. The wind blew, a nice seasonal wind. Spring was coming, the air was bitter and crisp.

"Hey there, Harumi! Hey stranger!" It was Matsuri and Nene. "Hey guys, what's going on?" The shorter Matsuri held her hands behind her back and peered up at Harumi with a mischievous smile. "Watcha' doing out here all by yourself, team leader? Just looking at the sunset?" Matsuri said jovially, knowing Harumi wasn't going to be able to handle Yuzu and everything going on the same way she had. Harumi eyed her suspiciously, "Walking, that's all. No big deal."

Matsuri looked disappointed, she hated seeing her friend in this depressive state. "Did you talk to your sister, Harumi?" Matsuri said with genuine curiosity. "Yeah, I did."

"What'd she say," Matsuri said with honesty, "About the letter?"

"To keep out of her business, and not to tell anyone. Of course."

"That sucks! Haha." Matsuri laughed and covered her mouth, trying to play things as cool as possible. She knew how troublesome the whole night must have been for her, thinking of Harumi being embarrassed around her sister. Tip-toeing around somebody she thought she had known her whole life. "That's what you get for going through other people's things! Haha!"

Harumi rolled her eyes and kept walking at her usual pace. "Want to go to the arcade?" Matsuri pitched in.

"OK, fine, today I will. I don't feel like I want to think or dwell on things anymore."

"I'll see you guys later," said Nene tiredly, "I have to study. My mom says I hang out with trouble makers too much and freshmen have to qualify for second year."

"Okay Nene, we'll see you around!" said Matsuri a bit too excitedly, and Harumi barely noticed.

Harumi was quietly nervous to be alone with Matsuri. On one hand she didn't care because today sucked so bad. She needed a friend and she'd rather not think about home right now. "Ah, don't look down, Haruminn," said Matsuri sarcastically, squeezing her, "or the arcade's gonna' suck with a ghost there!"

Harumi rolled her eyes. Matsuri was always like this, she always had to get on her nerves. Couldn't they just get along for once? "Hey, Matsuri," she said.

"Yeah?" Matsuri replied, skipping happily like some child lost in a supermarket with her pink balloon.

"What would you think if I told you that Yuzu told me something interesting yesterday."

Matsuri briefly looked up at her, "Okay. What'd she say? Going on a diet again?"

Harumi had a suspicious look, why was she being so blasé? Usually she'd be curious. "You'll be surprised."

"Oh?" Matsuri feigned shock. Harumi grumbled. She thought for a second and decided to tell her anyways, "Yuzu told me that she's in love with Mei."

Matsuri's eyes widened. "Oh, OK. So, it seems you know now. I was there with Nene the other day and I saw everything."

"So, you heard us!?" Now Harumi was shocked. "No, I already knew." Harumi blustered, "What!? You did!? When!? Why!? You better speak up, Matsuri!"

Matsuri just looked over her shoulder, "There's a lot about me you don't know." Harumi raised an eyebrow, "I was there when they started to fall for each other. You were too, but Yuzu couldn't bear to tell you. She was afraid of what you'd say." Harumi looked disappointed.

They walked a little bit more, Matsuri with her hands behind her back, playing totally coy. "I wouldn't have been mad," said Harumi, pouting. Matsuri gave her a glance, "Of course not. But you know Yuzu, she's quite mysterious sometimes." Harumi looked off in another direction, trying to look uninterested. "When you said you were there, did you see something I didn't?" asked Harumi.

"I was… part of the reason they got together."

Harumi was silently stunned. "What happened?" Harumi was all concern and interest. The last couple of days had been full of surprises, she was hungry for more information.

Matsuri glanced back, "I don't want to say. It's private." Harumi looked suspiciously at Matsuri with heating anger, then shrugged her shoulders. What did she expect from the pink haired girl? "Well, it's all sown up now. I told her I loved her as a friend, and now we're going to try to get Mei back from some arranged marriage thing." She walked on, disinterested again.

"Yeah, I've already kind of started planning and stuff. We each have to help Yuzu in our own way from now on." Harumi looked a bit alarmed, "Fine, but don't go overboard, okay? I know you. You like to make mischief."

Matsuri laughed and walked on ahead. Harumi followed for a pace, then walked up behind her and put her arm around her shoulder. She rubbed the top of her head with her fist to give her a noogie. "Lil' Matsuri, making plans," sang Harumi.

Matsuri blushed. She looked up at Harumi and got lost in her eyes. She put her hands around Harumi's arms and elbows. She stood mute, gazing at Harumi. "What? Haha," said Harumi nervously.

"Harumin, can I ask you a question?" The tall girl was disarmed by the sincere tone, "Uh, sure!" She winked embarrassingly. It had taken a long time to get along with the pink devil. She did strange, random things, it was her business to play with people's minds. She had seen the internet posts on Matsuri's phone, catfishing guys with classmates' faces. She was afraid of her power to get what she wanted.

"Is there anyone…" she stammered, "that you like, maybe?" Matsuri touched her index finger to her lip looking dreamily at Harumi. "You know, are you crushing on anyone?" The taller girl blushed, "No, of course not. Why are you asking? Is there somebody you like?" Harumi tried to turn the tables. Matsuri sighed, "I guess not." Matsuri started walking away. Harumi easily kept pace with her long legs. "Did what Yuzu told you impress you at all, Harumi?"

She thought about it, lifting some hair off her forehead, "Yeah, I mean she's my best friend. If she likes girls she's still going to be my friend. What a shock! The student president, her step sister!" Matsuri barely looked back. "I mean, I was stunned. I'm still getting over it." Harumi sweated, feeling uncomfortable with the entire ordeal.

Matsuri grabbed her arm nervously, "Do you want to hear something else impressive, Harumi?"

Harumi looked on impassively, "OK, go ahead. All I hear these days are impressive things. I'm finding more impressive things every day," she affected a laugh. Matsuri quietly shook in her boots, either from the wind and cold or lack of confidence, but it disturbed Harumi. "You know how Nene is always shipping you and Yuzu?"

Harumi laughed out loud, "Yeah, she's a funny one, alright. What can you do? It makes me mad but it's okay since she's a nice girl and she likes her sempais," she giggled.

"Yeah, haha…" Matsuri trailed off, coughed, and regained her stamina, "Well," Matsuri cleared her throat, "I'm afraid she's not the only one." Harumi felt a tenseness in her shoulders building up from her lower back. She felt like she was stuck in one place. "I transferred to this school not just because Yuzu was my friend, but because I thought I wanted to start a relationship with her."

Harumi felt frozen in the face of too much new information. "But don't worry, I gave up on that a long time ago. She's my friend and I support her 100%, that's why I suggested that summer trip, I was even trying to get them together."

Harumi itched her arm and looked a little sad. What could she say about it?

"Matsu—" "No, Harumi, it's fine. I bet you didn't expect to be hanging out with a bunch of queer girl lovers in your life, huh?" Matsuri looked back at her with a tear, looking queasy. "I know you've always suspected me, you thought I was a troublemaker. I promise I'm not trying to sabotage Yuzu. I love her, now more than ever as one of my very best friends. Just like you. She's been sisterly to me nearly my whole life. It was more like I was trying to find a lost connection with her."

Harumi felt speechless. She smiled at Matsuri, then her brain started to work again, "Don't cry, Matsuri, there's no reason to cry, it's alright." Harumi put her arm around Matsuri's shoulder. The pink haired girl's eyes were welling with tears. Matsuri looked uneasy, she glanced quickly to the side at Harumi's lips. "Um, Harumi…" she choked.

"Yeah?"

"Are we still friends?"

"Whaat!?" the taller girl replied, "Of course, Matsuri!" Her hand was still on her shoulder, tenderly rubbing her subconsciously. The feel of Harumi's hand caressing her was driving Matsuri crazy. She thought she would burst. "Even though I told you all that?" she said weakly. "Duhh, ye-es!" Harumi was surprised by how vulnerable Matsuri was right now. She never conceived of judging anyone for being a… 'L-E-Z', she thought, and realized how the previous conversation at McDonalds had made her friend uncomfortable around her and admitting to all of this.

She remembered her sister and how awkward it had made her in her own sister's presence. Why did the world have to be like this? Why did people have to run and hide like this?

"Would you…" Matsuri coughed back the welling of tears in her eyes, "would you… hug me?" Matsuri's face was a mess of stormy emotions, and Harumi's motherly tendencies lay in the back of her mind. Harumi looked Matsuri in the eyes, searching her feelings and thoughts. She didn't know what to do, she was trembling, but for what reason she couldn't conceive. "Matsuri what are you—"

"Harumi, please," Matsuri said through full throated tears. Harumi felt nervous and anxious but immediately did as her friend asked, hugging Matsuri close to her chest. She felt the girl's soft hair and head against her bosom, as Matsuri reached her arms to grab Harumi's back.

Harumi cursed her hesitation and felt disgusted by it. She couldn't help it, it was natural to be scared. There was something about Matsuri, though, that she had to admit: she was small, piquant. She had always slightly wanted to grab her up in her arms and tell her it was okay. To instruct her to be better with people and how to act. These were weird feelings coursing through her mind and Harumi couldn't understand it then.

"Haven't you ever noticed how I'm always getting up in your stuff and annoying you, teasing you, Harumi?" The question hit like a dagger in Harumi's chest, but she couldn't pull away because of Matsuri's grip. The taller girl felt like she was not standing on Earth anymore, this whole week had come like a blazing blur. What was happening now is what she had dreaded, perhaps from the outset of the letter. Maybe she had always feared if this could be a part of herself. Ever since reading her sister's letter, it had torn at her, the doubt about her own sexuality.

"Didn't you notice how I was trying to get close to you? Haven't I been doing everything in my power to get your attention?" Matsuri said desperately, hugging in a way that wasn't supportive anymore but holding on too tight.

Harumi thought for a second, "Yeah, but you're an underclassman. I figured you would like attention from a sempai." Matsuri hugged tighter, "It's not just that. That's part of it but there's… more." Harumi blushed, she couldn't get out of the hug no matter how she struggled. "Harumin, I'm pretty sure that I've been trying to say that I like you for a while now." Harumi felt stunned, that was the death blow. She lost her balance but Matsuri did a respectable job of taking up the slack, somewhat expecting the reaction to be like this. "I mean, we've been hanging out every day after school for a while now, I thought you would start to get the message what with all the flirting and touching. Are you straight? Is it impossible?"

The last words were sweet in a way, they penetrated Harumi's mind. The words felt weirdly enticing, strange, even convincing. Things curled up in her that she hadn't experienced before. Her eyes bulged and she felt short of breath.

Matsuri finally relented, and Harumi released the hug. Harumi caught her breath, "But you're an underclassman!?"

Matsuri was just surprised, "So!?" she shouted back, "What does that matter? It's only two years."

Harumi was anxious, what could she say? She felt like passing out, she was starting to shake. "Matsuri, I'd like to sit down now, please. Can I sit down?" Matsuri noticed the state Harumi was in, she held her wrists and guided her to a nearby bench. Matsuri watched her and felt bad, she couldn't stand the distance anymore and sat next to her but giving her space. They were comfortable on the bench, Harumi grappling with everything that'd been hitting her for weeks. She looked awful, distraught. 'She might throw up', Matsuri thought. She felt bad for springing everything on her. Matsuri held out her hand and to her surprise Harumi grabbed it with everything she was worth.

"Don't worry so much, Taniguchi-senpai!" Matsuri said, sweating about every move she made. Harumi was taking this hard. "It'll be alright. Don't have a panic attack! Do you want to go to the hospital?"

Harumi seemed to be losing control of the typhoon in her mind.

"Harumin!" Matsuri snapped, reaching out her hand and cupping Harumi's cheek in her hands so she could look her directly in the eyes, "Calm. Down. Okay?" Matsuri always knew this trouble was there but was shocked to see it for real. "I know I'm not Yuzu, but you can confide in me. I WANT you to confide in me right now. Please be my close friend and tell me what's on your mind."

Harumi breathed in and out, getting lost in Matsuri's eyes now. She slowly came back to earth. The waves of emotion made her wince, her chest heaving. "I think I might have had a thing for Yuzu," Harumi said desperately," tears were coming out in jets from her eyes, "I think I might have been in love with her. It was unrequited, and it's been dying inside me since she told me." It was Matsuri's turn to be shocked. "Ever since she started spending so much time with someone else, and after Mei left their relationship and Yuzu was depressed. It's had an effect on me and I just realized it." A tear fell down her cheeks, "I couldn't realize what was going on with me, it's just sort of burst forward since you told me what you told me."

"I was probably crushing on her a little without realizing it. Her choosing Mei tore me up." Matsuri grabbed Harumi's hard, not wanting to let this feeling go while she had the chance. She felt like Cinderella at that moment, fearing it would all be over tomorrow. Harumi was actually being honest with herself and now things became clearer, why she had talked about things so little over the intervening months that Yuzu had been in pain.

"Don't be ashamed of it, Harumi. I even tried to kiss her. She never had any feelings for me." Harumi looked shocked and troubled, "Yuzu is a one girl-gal," Matsuri said. She drawled, "Your face is a mess, pretty girl. That Mei is one fucked up whore to tear us both apart like this. The power she has over that girl is amazing."

Harumi laughed, they were strange curse words to come out of Matsuri's mouth. They both grew calmer, they laughed together. It was at this point when Matsuri lost all fortitude and reached around and hugged Harumi, putting her head on her neck. "Thanks for listening to my confession," cooed Harumi.

They hugged for a long time, barely being affected by the frosty weather. Harumi felt the pink girl's warmth like it was the only thing on that street to human beings could cling to in Harajuku. Matsuri was in her element in these streets but felt electricity coursing through her which she wasn't used to. Harumi felt peaceful.

The ocean in the girls' minds was settling back. The two had been incredibly stressed for the past year, and suddenly the pieces were falling back together.

They rubbed and hugged each other for warmth, feeling freed by the feeling in the open air. Two women stuck to each other.